Burnout
by Xican
Summary: Xander's tired of fighting and losing everything in Sunnydale. AU


Title - Burnout  
  
Author - Xican  
  
Email - Ocd551@aol.com  
  
Date - December 5, 2001  
  
Disclaimer - All characters are property of Joss Whedon, Sandollar, Kuzui, the WB, and UPN. The story belongs to me, biznatch.  
  
Distribution - We're doing reverse kidnapping here. First send me the note and then take it.  
  
Pairing - implied X/multiple slayers  
  
Rating - PG-13  
  
Spoilers - Some alternate seasons one and two.  
  
Summary - Xander gets tired of fighting and losing everything in Sunnydale.  
  
***  
  
In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.  
  
Pretty poetic, isn't it? There is one special girl in the entire world that fights against the forces of darkness. And I have the distinct pleasure of knowing the current chosen one.  
  
Of course, in the past two years, I've known the past three as well. I guess generations aren't as long as they used to be.  
  
I figured that's the best way for me to start this out, since it's what's been driving me for the past two years. If you even care, that is. Yep, I'm pulling a guilt trip on you.  
  
I met the first Slayer while I was a sophomore in high school. Her name was Buffy Summers, and the first time that I saw her, I ran my skateboard into a railing. I don't think that you had ever met her.  
  
We had some zany adventures together after we discovered that we were all living on top of the mystical convergence known as the Hellmouth. She'd go out and kill vampires; I'd get possessed a hyena spirit and eat my school principle. She'd train; I'd make out with life sucking Incan mummies. You know normal high school stuff.  
  
I had a crush on her, but she died before I could really do anything about it. She was killed on the night of the Homecoming, fighting a master vampire that went by the very original name of the Master. See there was this prophecy that stated that the Slayer would fight the newly risen Master on this particular day and she would die. Of course, nobody told me about it until the day after. I'm not sure whether or not I could have done something, but I could have tried.  
  
Anyway, a couple of days after Buffy died, Angel, this souled vampire that Buffy had this huge yen for, tried to be all heroic and kill the Master. He failed and became a pile of ash. One less vampire is what I say. So now it was just Buffy's Watcher Giles, my best friend Willow, whom I hope you remember, and myself against the forces of darkness until the next Slayer arrived.  
  
Unfortunately, three days after *that*, Willow was killed when the now organized vampires set up this huge cull, a way to establish the dawning of a new age. There were other casualties as well, like Harmony, Cordelia, and the new school principal, Snyder.  
  
No help was sent to Sunnydale cause apparently, the rest of the world was blissfully ignorant. I guess you were too. Doesn't really matter, cause the vampire 'social system' was soon crumbled.  
  
The next slayer called didn't arrive until the new school year was well under way. Her name was Kendra and she showed up with this new Watcher named Zabuto. Didn't really like the guy. But Kendra, she was totally exotic with this accent that drove me wild. I pretty much fell in love with her at first site. Of course, she was a 'Council Slayer', so relationships with males beside her Watcher were taboo.  
  
She kicked ass. She ended up killing the Master and that little Anointed Bastard during a routine patrol. She didn't even know who they were. Just saw them, ran, and staked them without breaking a sweat.  
  
So 'normal' Sunnydale behavior returned with the vamps becoming disorganized again. School resumed with the new principal Ms. Creed, and all of you chose to see the past four months as freak occurrences.  
  
A couple of months later a werewolf we were hunting bit Kendra. When she discovered what she was going to turn into, she killed herself, silver dagger through her chest. After crying for days, I killed the werewolf that had done it. Recognized a scar that Kendra had slashed on his face. Ended up being some guy named Daniel who was in this crappy band. Not that I cared, or anything. Zabuto left soon after that.  
  
Then came Faith and her Watcher, Wesley. They showed up almost immediately. I guess the Council really didn't have a lot of Faith in Kendra. Faith was more along the lines of Buffy than Kendra, in the way that she didn't jump whenever the Council told her to.  
  
Wesley was killed by a pack of vampires about a week after arriving. After that, the Council had named Giles Faith's official Watcher.  
  
Faith and I had a thing for a while. Yeah, that's right, I lost the big V to a nympho. Go me. But then she was killed by this vampire named Kakistos, who was chasing after her for something that she had done in Boston. He left right after that, so I never had the chance to kill him.  
  
Presently, the Slayer is this chick named Clarice. Painfully shy but stubborn as hell, and pretty cute. But I think that three Slayers is kinda my limit, you know? I guess Giles has been named Watcher for life because he's hers also.  
  
Through this all I have been busting my ass, fighting against vampires, zombies, and some other shit that I can't pronounce. Doing what's right without the benefit of any kind of reward. And do you know what?  
  
I'm done.  
  
Staying in this town has brought nothing but pain and suffering to the people that are closest to me. I'm afraid that if I were to stay any longer, something might happen to you. So I'm leaving.  
  
It's not that I'm giving up everything. I'm sure that there are other places in America that could use some help in the demon department, and hell, maybe I'll be able to make some money. Heh.  
  
Anyway, I kinda stole Uncle Rory's car because I figure that he won't need once all his DUIs catch up to him. I also took the two hundred dollars in the toffee tin above the sink. Sorry about that, I'll pay you back, I swear.  
  
So that's pretty much everything. Now that you know all this, I'll leave you with some advice that I hope you take to heart. One, don't invite anybody in the house after nightfall. Just step aside and see if they walk in. Two, if you ever get in any trouble, call Giles. I've left his number on the fridge. And three, well, I can't think of a third thing. Just be careful.  
  
I love you, mom. I hope that now you know the truth about this town and about what I've done, you could be proud of me.  
  
Love,  
  
Alexander Lavelle Harris  
  
P.S. What the hell where you smoking when you came up with that middle name?  
  
[ E N D ] 


End file.
